Read Job 42:7-17.

Introduction⤒🔗

Traveling by train across the Korean peninsula from Seoul to the city of Choon Chun, I observed an interesting phenomenon. Frequently, the train would enter the dark tunnels cut into the mountainsides and then emerge once again into a beautiful countryside vista beside a flowing river. Although I did not enjoy traveling through the dark tunnels, I just had to wait patiently and soon enough we would emerge again into the midst of a beautiful idyllic mountain scene.

In a similar way, here at the end of the book, we find Job emerging from the long dark tunnel of his trial into the peaceful presence of God, receiving both vindication and reward from the LORD.

This final passage of the Book of Job offers us two good reasons why we should persevere in the midst of trial. Let us now consider those reasons:

The First Reason that Encourages Us to Persevere: The Knowledge that the LORD Will Vindicate Us←⤒🔗

The LORD publicly vindicates Job: in contrast to his three companions, Job is commended for having spoken of God “what is right” (42:8). Although Job has had moments of wavering doubt as to the justice of God, and although he was in danger of developing a self-righteous attitude that would have caused him to disparage God’s righteousness, nevertheless, Job has spoken what is right and, despite his moments of wavering, he has not recanted. What he did recant was the self-righteous attitude he had begun to embrace.

The thing that is right, which Job has spoken of God, is expressed back in Job 1:21:

[Job] said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away, blessed be the name of the LORD.’

The exposition of Job’s testimony can be summarized as follows:

• All the good, the blessing, the benefits we experience are bestowed upon us by the LORD and are subject to His sovereign discretion: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.”
   
• Despite the change in our earthly circumstances, the LORD ever remains the faithful covenant-keeping God: He is the LORD. It is significant that Job identifies God by His covenantal name, “the LORD.” Bear in mind the testimony of Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
   
• It is our moral obligation to honor the LORD and render devotion unto Him as an end in itself, not merely when or because we are the recipients of temporal blessings, or in an effort to induce the LORD to bestow such blessings upon us: despite his trials Job still proclaims, “blessed be the name of the LORD.” Consider the testimony of Ecclesiastes 12:13, “[This] is the end of the matter, all has been heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

In contrast to Job’s God-honoring testimony, there was the counsel of his wife:

Then his wife said to him, 'Are you still maintaining your integrity? Renounce God and die!' ¹⁰But he said to her, 'You are speaking like one of the foolish women. Shall we [only] accept good from the hand of God, and shall we not accept calamity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips Job 2:9-10

Her position is self-centered and utilitarian—as opposed to being God-centered and truly pious, or devotional. According to Job's wife, service is to be rendered unto God, not as an end in itself, not as the supreme purpose of man’s existence, but as a means of gaining temporal benefits from God. If God withholds the blessing, one should renounce his service to God, even if it means suffering God’s curse.

Upon hearing her counsel, Job charges his wife with speaking folly: “You are speaking like one of the foolish women.” Note that the counsel given by Job’s wife is the same position as that of the wicked and ungodly. Like that of Job’s wife, their position is self-centered and utilitarian, as opposed to being God-centered and truly pious, or devotional:

They say to God, ‘Get away from us! We have no desire to know your ways. ¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What will we gain by praying to him?’ 21:14-15

The LORD goes on to charge Job’s three companions with folly (42:8); the same term as used by Job in describing his wife’s theology. Whether knowingly or unintentionally, they have given Job counsel that is basically the same as that given by his wife. Throughout the book, the three companions have urged Job to confess whatever sin he may have committed, assuring him that by so doing he will once again receive temporal blessings and benefits from the LORD. They are actually tempting Job to be dishonest and sacrifice his integrity (his devotion to God) by confessing to sin he has not committed in order to receive the restoration of temporal blessings and benefits from the LORD.

Throughout the body of the Book of Job, the focus has been on the justice of God. We may even say, the justice of God has been on trial: Does God, indeed, make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked? But when we come to the conclusion of the Book, and connect it with the introduction, we find that in fact, it is man’s view of religion that has been on trial. The overarching theme of the Book of Job is providing the correct answer to the question, Why should a man serve God? Or, stated another way, What is the motivation of true devotion?

This theme is evident at the very outset of the book when Satan raises the question, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” (1:9) He then proceeds to submit his thesis that Job only serves God for the material benefits to be derived from such devotion (1:10-11). This overarching theme, introduced in the opening chapter of the book, comes to a climax in the closing chapter when the LORD honors Job for having, (in contrast to all others), articulated and exemplified the correct answer to the question, What is the motivation of true devotion? Unlike his wife and unlike his friends, who each provide the same answer to that great question as the wicked, (namely, the self-centered, utilitarian view of religion), Job provides the correct answer: Rendering devotion unto God is the chief end of man, the chief purpose of our existence.

Thus it is that the LORD publicly acknowledges Job as “my servant.” Once in verse seven and three times in verse eight the LORD identifies Job with this most honorable title. At the very outset of the book the LORD identified Job as “my servant” (1:8; 2:3). Now, having maintained his integrity and devotion in the midst of the most severe trial, Job has (by the grace of God) demonstrated that he is truly worthy of that title; he truly is “a servant of the LORD.” Thus, the LORD honors Job by publicly and emphatically declaring that Job is “my servant.” In New Testament terms, note the promise made by the Lord Jesus: “If any man would serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant also be. If any man serves me, the Father will honor him” (Jn. 12:26).

In addition to publicly acknowledging Job as His servant, the LORD bestows upon Job the additional blessing of becoming a means of blessing to others (42:8-9). The LORD instructs Job’s three companions to present a burnt offering, and informs them that Job will pray for them (42:8). There is the assurance that Job’s prayer on their behalf will be heard, because Job is accepted by the LORD (42:8). It is a distinct honor to be used by the LORD as a means of bringing blessing to others.

Let us faithfully persevere in the midst of trial, and our whole life through, knowing that the LORD will honor us: “The LORD, the God of Israel, declares...’Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me shall be disdained’” (1 Sam. 2:30).

The Second Reason that Encourages Us to Persevere: The Knowledge that the LORD Will Honor Us←⤒🔗

After Job had prayed for his friends, “the LORD released him from his captivity” (42:10). Note that part of true, godly righteousness is mercy, as our Lord Jesus Christ teaches in Matthew 23:23,

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faith. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Job is now called upon to exhibit that attribute of mercy, by praying for his friends’ restoration to the LORD their God.

Job’s companions demonstrate a contrite heart when they, without protest, obey the LORD’s command for them to bring a burnt offering, and when they unquestioningly accept Job’s intercession on their behalf. Now, showing himself to be truly righteous in every sense of the word, Job complies with the LORD’s desire that he offer prayer on behalf of his companions who had formerly slandered him (unjustly accusing him of sin) but have now exhibited remorse and repentance.

Again, note the admonition and warning imparted by our Lord Jesus Christ, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14-15). The Lord Jesus teaches us that extending forgiveness to others is not an option, it is a requirement. Then, too, from our Lord’s parable about The Servant Who Received Forgiveness, But Refused to Forgive His Fellow Servant (Mat. 18:23-35), we learn that forgiveness cannot be earned, but it can be withdrawn.

Job’s act of mercy in praying for his companions brings about his release from his “captivity” because it proves him to be a truly righteous man in every sense of the term. The LORD’s calling upon Job to show mercy towards his former tormenters was the final capstone of his trial, which he now has successfully completed.

Job’s act of mercy, his willingness to be a blessing even to those who had formerly offended him, now opens the way for him to receive the abundant blessing of God: “then the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before” (42:10b). As John Hartley expresses it, “The doubling of Job’s estate...means...that the LORD freely and abundantly blessed him. The blessing proves that the LORD is a life-giving God, not a capricious deity who takes pleasure in [man’s] suffering...In his sovereign design he may permit a faithful servant to suffer ill fortune for a season, but in due time he will bring total healing.”¹

We also learn here an important lesson with regard to how the LORD’s justice pertains to His covenant people: The LORD displays His justice not by withholding His servants from all trial and adversity, but by abundantly blessing them as a reward for faithfully enduring whatever trial the LORD deems fit to impose upon them.

The LORD’s blessing also consists in the restored relationship between Job and the community of believers (42:11). Whereas previously Job had been unjustly and unmercifully abandoned and slandered by the entire community (cp. 19:13-19), now the entire community (note the repeated use of the word “all”) is reconciled to him: “They sympathized with him and consoled him concerning all the calamity the LORD had brought upon him” (42:11b). Job's brethren and acquaintances now become true comforters, providing Job with a compassionate and sympathizing presence; they now heed Job’s own counsel as to how to minister to the godly in their affliction. Recall what Job had said early in the book: “To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown by his friend; or else he might forsake the fear of the Almighty” (6:14). Note: The fact that the calamity Job suffered was brought upon him by “the LORD,” (observe the use of God’s covenant name), emphasizes that this was no capricious act of God or “chance happening.” On the contrary, all occurred within the scope of God’s covenant faithfulness and served His covenantal purposes.

We are further informed, “each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring” (42:11c). Their compassion was not in word only, it was also practical; furthermore, their acts of generosity showed the genuineness of their compassion. Consider the admonition of the Apostle John:

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no compassion toward him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 Jn. 3:17-18

Next, we are told, “the LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than his earlier [years]” (42:12). Just as Job, by steadfastly maintaining his devotion to the LORD even in the midst of the most severe trials, demonstrated himself to be a true servant of the LORD; so, the LORD, by lavishing His abundant blessing upon His faithful servant, demonstrates Himself to be the truly righteous God that He is, the God who is faithful to those who keep His covenant.

The LORD’s abundant blessing is bestowed upon every part of Job’s life: Job receives an abundance of livestock (42:12b); Job is blessed with an abundance of children (42:13-14); and Job experiences an abundance of days in which to enjoy his children and his prosperity (42:16-17).

Concerning the blessing of a new generation of children, the O.T. commentator, F. Delitzsch, rightly observes that the loss of one’s beloved children (1:18-19) cannot really be made up for by double the number of other children.² But this is eventually resolved by means of the final resurrection:

...the Lord himself shall descend from heaven...and the dead in Christ shall rise first; ¹⁷then, we that are alive...shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:16-17

With regard to the final resurrection, even in patriarchal times, the covenant community had some comprehension of this future glorious event. According to the Book of Genesis, when Abram went forth to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to the LORD, he informed his servants, “the lad and I...will come back to you.” (Gen. 22:5) Commenting on this incident, the writer of the Book of Hebrews explains by divine inspiration, Abraham accounted that “God was able to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead.” (Heb. 11:17-19) Thus, as believing members of the covenant community, Job’s children were not lost. At the final resurrection, they shall be re-united with their father and their additional brothers and sisters—such is the wonder and abundance of the LORD’s blessing bestowed upon those who honor Him.

Let us faithfully persevere in the midst of trial, and our whole life through, knowing that the LORD will surely bestow His blessing upon us:

The LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you.Psl. 84:11-12

Conclusion←⤒🔗

One last thing needs to be said: In the person and life of Job we must see a reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one true Servant of the LORD.

In the ultimate sense, it is Jesus who is vindicated and honored for His steadfast devotion to God His Father even under the severest of trials:

...Christ emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. Being found as a man in appearance, ⁸he humbled himself by becoming obedient unto death, even death on the cross. ⁹Therefore, God exalted him to the highest position and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name Phil. 2:7-9

In the ultimate sense, it is Christ Jesus who alone is worthy and able to make effectual intercession for us: “he [Christ Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25).

If we are to fulfill our calling to be faithful to the LORD our God, we can only do so by being united to Christ by faith and looking to Christ for His enabling grace:

...since he himself suffered by being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. Heb. 2:18

...be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.2 Tim. 2:1

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. To whom does the LORD now speak? How does He describe His attitude towards him, and for what reason? See Job 42:7 What counsel have Job’s friends given him, and with what incentive? See, for example, Job 8:6, esp. vs. 6c The friends have exhorted Job to repent, with the assurance that such repentance will result in the blessing material prosperity—do you practice a similar utilitarian, benefit-oriented religion? Who else entertains this view? See Job 22:15-17,

After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite,

My anger burns against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7

...if you are pure and upright, he will rouse himself on your behalf, and restore your righteous estate. Job 8:6

Will you keep to the hidden path, the way that evil men have walked… ¹⁷They said to God,'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?' Job 22:15-17

2. In contrast to His rebuke of Job’s friends, for what does the LORD commend Job? See Job 42:8b What is it that Job has spoken rightly? See Job 1:20-21 Like Job, are you devoted to the LORD because He is God, the faithful, covenant-keeping God, and as such is worthy of our worship and devotion?

My servant Job will pray for you—because I accept him—so that I will not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.Job 42:8

Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹He said, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away, blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:20-21

3. What does the LORD require Job’s friends to do? See Job 42:8a What is the significance of this particular offering? Note Lev. 1:13b By means of requiring this offering, the LORD is reminding Job’s friends of the essence of true religion as defined in Deuteronomy 6:5. Can a man be a true Christian without offering his heart unto Christ as “a burnt offering”? Note Gal. 2:20 and 2 Cor. 5:15,

So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a whole burnt offering for yourselves...Job 42:8a

...the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice...Lev. 1:13b

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might... Deut. 6:5

The Apostle Paul defines the Christian in the following way:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

...[Christ] died for all, so that that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. 2 Cor. 5:15

4. What is Job instructed to do on behalf of his friends? See Job 42:8b What does Job’s willingness to pray for his friends who have much maligned him tell us about him? Do you forgive those who have wronged you, especially those who seek your forgiveness? What does our Lord warn? See Matt. 6:14-15 What does the LORD’s requirement that Job pray for his friends tell us about the role of mercy in a truly righteous life? Note Matt. 23:23a,

My servant Job will pray for you—because I accept him—so that I will not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.Job 42:8b

...if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt. 6:14­ 15

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you...have neglected the weightier [matters] of the Law: justice and mercy and faith... Matt. 23:23

5. Having shown himself to be a true servant of the LORD, how does the LORD now honor Job? See Job 42:10-134 As the O.T. commentator, Franz Delitzsch, rightly observes, the loss of one’s beloved children (Job 1:18-19) cannot truly be compensated for by means of the blessing of more children; how will this loss be remedied? See 1 Thess. 4:14, 16-17 What does Job’s experience tell us about the Christian life? Note 1 Sam. 2:30b,

After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD released him from his captivity; then the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before... ¹²The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than his earlier years...¹³And he also had seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:10-13

¹⁴...we believe Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who fall asleep in Jesus... ¹⁶the Lord himself shall descend from heaven...and the dead in Christ shall rise first; ¹⁷then, we that are alive...shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:14, 16-17

...those that honor me, I will honor; but those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Sam. 2:30b